Since I began taking piano lessons, I have renewed my interest in all
my piano recordings.  I am currently working on my third Chopin piece,
and have been immersing myself in his world.  In listening to the waltzes,
I noticed something on which I would like list members" opinions.  It"s
very subjective, I know.

I listened to Rubinstein and enjoyed it tremendously (these are the 1960s
recordings from RCA - not the 1950s, which I would like to hear but
believe to be LP only and not on CD).  Then I listened to Maria Joao
Pires, and enjoyed it just a little more because she had a little more
expression and rubato in her playing.  And then, I bought an inexpensive
CD of Georges Cziffra playing the waltzes and a couple of Impromptus
(EMI Classics).  The first waltz, with the introduction in triplets (?),
sounded like some strange morse code, but got much better as it went on.
Then, as I listened to each waltz, I found myself wanting to dance (not
a very common urge, despite my latin heritage:o).  His rubatos were
almost too much, and at times he plinked and plonked a bit, but overall
I decided I was enjoying these more than the other sets!  His was a
personal INTERPRETATION almost more than a =B3reading=B2, and I like
that (ro some degree).

When I brought my teacher the CD, he listened over a week, and when I
saw him again he told me how much he disliked Cziffra"s playing.  He
said "he plays Chopin like it was Liszt", and that if he had done some
of what Cziffra does, his teachers would have disowned him.  He found
it more gypsy than elegant...  And I found them more Viennese than the
others, which was sort of opposite.  I though they were elegant in a
personal way.

Does anyone familiar with these recordings have an opinion on the matter?
I don"t mind the difference of opinion, but I"m curious about Cziffra,
knowing only some basic things about him as a musician.

Miguel Muelle
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www.miguelmuelle.com/db